If you are The Exchange Surgery patient you can be involve in our Patient Participation Group.

PPGs can fulfil a number of different roles which include: • Presenting the patient perspective on services in the practice • Improving communication and understanding between the practice and patients • Building a good working relationship with practices to benefit the practice and patients

We meet every two months or so to discuss any new or outstanding issues and we also communicate via email to present our views or give constructive feedback to the practice.

Proposed changes to public health services: Consultation 1st December – 12th January 2017

The grant we receive from central government has been reducing since 2015/16 and will, by the end of the 2019/20 financial year, have been reduced by over £5m. This cut from central Government comes at a time when the population of the borough is growing and health needs and rates of certain diseases are increasing.

Additionally, as a result of other reductions in funding from central Government, we will have to find £55m worth of savings between now and 2020 just to balance our budget.

To meet this challenge we have focused on delivering our Health and Wellbeing Strategy priorities and identified with partners £7-8m savings by redesigning services and being more efficient in the way we meet service user needs.